Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cedar City, UT and San Mateo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar City, UT: $2,279 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Cedar City, UT
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Cedar City, UT Living Index
215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index

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Cedar City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,279

/mo nomad

San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cedar City, UT and in San Mateo, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cedar City, UT and in San Mateo, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,279 in Cedar City, UT versus $4,419 in San Mateo, CA.

Cedar City, UT $2,279
San Mateo, CA $4,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Cedar City, UT versus $6,644 in San Mateo, CA.

Cedar City, UT $3,548
San Mateo, CA $6,644

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,818 in Cedar City, UT versus $8,868 in San Mateo, CA.

Cedar City, UT $4,818
San Mateo, CA $8,868

Living in Cedar City, UT costs roughly 48% less than in San Mateo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cedar City, UT 69% above, San Mateo, CA 227% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.97 $23.97

$19.81 $19.81

21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$98.2 $98.2

-19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.01 $15.01

$12.87 $12.87

16.63%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.54 $5.54

17.87%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.08 $3.08

54.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.81 $2.81

5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$8.31 $8.31

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.09 $11.09

$9.86 $9.86

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.61 $1.61

-32.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.96 $5.96

-38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.98 $5.98

-26.59%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$7.19 $7.19

-47.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 $18.35

$13.35 $13.35

37.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$19.03 $19.03

-18.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$19.87 $19.87

-8.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.94 $7.94

$6.06 $6.06

31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.13 $2.13

13.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.90 $3.90

99.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$8.86 $8.86

-60.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$4.34 $4.34

-58.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.04 $3.04

-22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.06 $3.06

-30.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.97 $1.97

18.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.16 $13.16

$11.94 $11.94

10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.32 $22.32

$14.53 $14.53

53.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.69 $1.69

16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.93 $1.93

154.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.99 $3.99

25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.35 $40.35

$97.1 $97.1

-58.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.56 $1.56

-42.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

-0.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$174 $174

$267 $267

-34.63%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.09 $33.09

$41.54 $41.54

-20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 $58.1

$62.4 $62.4

-6.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$109 $109

-50.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 $11.28

$18.35 $18.35

-38.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$63.6 $63.6

-10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 $49.36

$47.52 $47.52

3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$117 $117

-14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$135 $135

9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 $1,043

$3,421 $3,421

-69.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 $838

$2,741 $2,741

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,901 $1,901

$5,944 $5,944

-68.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$5,128 $5,128

-69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$13.8K $13.8K

-80.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 $2,701

$8,907 $8,907

-69.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,489 $3,489

$7,501 $7,501

-53.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.19

6.53

10.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cedar City, UT: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cedar City, UT

$838 36.8%

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62% 227% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Cedar City, UT

$481 21.1%

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8% 8.6% $41

Eating Out

Cedar City, UT

$398 17.5%

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9% 12.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cedar City, UT

$266 11.7%

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4% 39.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Cedar City, UT

$159 7%

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7% 2.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cedar City, UT

$77 3.4%

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3% 90.1% $69

Getting Around

Cedar City, UT

$60 * 2.7%

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9% 111% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,043 in Cedar City, UT and $3,421 in San Mateo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Mateo, CA pays 115% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Cedar City, UT vs $98.0 in San Mateo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $523 per month, with Cedar City, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cedar City, UT

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

16:27 4:27 PM

1 h behind Cedar City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,857

103,536

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cedar City, UT San Mateo, CA 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cedar City, UT
San Mateo, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cedar City, UT vs San Mateo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cedar City, UT is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in San Mateo, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,043 in Cedar City, UT versus $3,421 in San Mateo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cedar City, UT – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in San Mateo, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cedar City, UT runs roughly 141% less than in San Mateo, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,279 in Cedar City, UT versus $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cedar City, UT but tight or insufficient in San Mateo, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Cedar City, UT the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cedar City, UT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Mateo, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cedar City, UT and San Mateo, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cedar City, UT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in San Mateo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.